Yellow Hair
by RhapsodyinB
Summary: See the story Kocoum wasn't able to tell. A one-shot (no pun intended).


(Disclaimer: All rights to characters from Pocahontas belong to Disney.)

Kocoum and Namontack traveled down the Chickahominy, back to Werowocomoco. The Massawomecks were no more. After Powhatan made the announcement to the tribe, happiness and cheers were heard. Kocoum had other matters on his mind as he approached Powhatan.

"Kocoum, your bravery and fearlessness has helped us triumph over our enemies. Kekata will give you a new badge of honor." He noticed his urgency. "Tell me, what's pressing your mind?"

"Great Chief Powhatan, I ask in regards of one of your daughters-Pocahontas. I wish to seek her hand in marriage."

A smile crossed the man's face as he patted the man's shoulder. "It would make my heart soar." -

Powhatan announced a special feast for Kocoum. Kekata imprinted bear paws on his chest with war paint. He stood tall and proud, but wished to appear humble. Nevertheless the tribesmen and women praised him.

But there was one person he desired to see and hear from. He saw Pocahontas running to embrace her father, her long ebony hair flowing with the wind as always. He had watched her grow up, from the day she first entered the village, as an unassuming mischievous little girl. She was now a full-grown young woman, as tall and radiant as ever-perfect as a wife-his wife. He had hoped one day she would embrace him as eagerly as her father, as she walked with him to his longhouse. Perhaps he would tell her the news. Would she be excited?

Four young village children circled him excitedly. From the corner of his eye, he could see Pocahontas peering from the longhouse entrance. _Stand tall_, he thought. Surely she'd be much more impressed if he didn't humor such young foolish children, demonstrating authority over them. He glanced back a moment later, noticing she and her father had left the tent. He went about the village to give them privacy. -

Namontack caught up to him. "How do you feel?"

"As always, it's an honor."

"Let me be the first to congratulate my future brother-in-law."

He nodded his head in acknowledgement, but asked. "What do you expect she's thinking?"

Namontack thought for a moment. "She's probably overwhelmed. It's a big surprise even for her. Perhaps you should talk with her." -

Kocoum went around the village looking for Pocahontas. Powhatan mentioned she was last seen by her canoe, which Kocoum noticed was gone. _Typical of Pocahontas. Always running off somewhere. _He walked over to a large hill, which overlooked the river towards the sea, to get some time to think. This view always brought him peace of mind.

After a few deep sighs, he noticed something unusual. A very large canoe seemingly attached to some strange clouds, was approaching the Chickahominy. He walked a little ways down the hill, and climbed a tree, just to be safe. On this canoe he noticed a group of strangely dressed pale men. Never had he seen such milky white complexions and strange colored eyes on a strange assortment of figures, from scrawny, to stout, portly, and tall.

He directed his attention to a certain man in particular-a tall man with yellow hair as the grain, eyes as blue as the sea, and skin just as pale as all the others. He seemed to have a strong, muscular build, along with a manly jaw, defined nose and chin. Like Kocoum, he demonstrated fearlessness; but unlike Kocoum, he didn't even attempt to conceal his sense of confidence-which came across even as cockiness. With a grin on his face, he laughed with the other men, slapped them on the back, yet still demonstrated he was clearly in charge, as he pointed in various directions and the men listened.

There was something about this man that grated on him; While he wasn't intimidated by any of the other men, this one appeared to be the likeliest competitive match for him. How did this man have an uncanny ability to be personable, yet maintain authority and have his men's respect? Kocoum had respect, but he didn't care whether or not he was liked by others, besides Powhatan, and perhaps Namontack. Most of the other warriors seemed to tolerate him. Generally, he didn't seek to be friends with his men. Kocoum huffed. He didn't know who this man was, but he wasn't overly impressed. _He better watch himself and stay out of the way... . _

Kocoum went back up to the village, deciding he had seen enough of these strange men-"Yellow Hair", in particular. _Why even care so much as to give him a name? _Kocoum decided he was stronger, and better looking than him; That man with the pointed nose and deathly pale skin looked hideous. Besides, he was engaged to the most beautiful woman in the tribe-something this man couldn't have, nor match up to. He didn't know what they were doing, but he decided they weren't his kind; those pale-faced white demons. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who saw them, as Namontack mentioned the villagers were meeting in Kekata's longhouse to discuss these strange visitors. -

"Kekata, what do you see?"

Powhatan asked. The medicine man spread incense into the fire pit. Smoky images of the strange men appeared, including one resembling the yellow-haired man. Kekata's phrase "ravenous wolves, killing everything in sight," struck out to Kocoum.

"We shall conquer these white demons." Kocoum announced.

Powhatan felt it best to become familiar with these men first, to discover why they were here. Kocoum, Namontack and another warrior left the village to find the strangers' whereabouts. When they grew close to their camp, they noted the devastation: Complete clearings of trees, dead stumps everywhere; nothing left but ugly brown soil and lots of holes. These men were after something, but what?

He quickly scanned the area for the man with yellow hair. No sign of him. _Was he out looking for them also?_

He had little time to think. A man threw a meaty bone in the bushes, not far from Kocoum and Namontack. Their cover was blown. The men were clearly alarmed, and shouted something in their strange language, and aimed strange sticks that they must have considered weapons. Something small and round shot out of one, injuring Namontack.

"Namontack!" Kocoum shouted. A large man with dark hair was about to kill him. Kocoum fought the man and his weapon off before picking up his friend. "Back to the village," he commanded the other fellow warrior. -

Kekata looked puzzled when examining Namontack. "This wound is foreign to me."

"These men are dangerous," Powhatan decreed. "No one is to go near them."

The warriors sounded the drums, alarming anyone that wasn't in the village to return. Kocoum looked for Pocahontas. She wasn't around. He suddenly became fearful. He remembered the yellow-haired man wasn't at the camp. _What if he found her and captured her-or even killed her? Should he go after her? But where could she have gone?_ -

Pocahontas paddled back to the village in her canoe. He noticed she wasn't as upbeat as she normally was. "Pocahontas, are you alright?"

"Kocoum, I'm fine."

"You didn't run into some pale faced demons, did you?"

"Who have you been talking to?" Her eyes grew wide.

_Where did that come from?_ "I'm just making sure you're safe. As your future husband, it's my responsibility to protect you." She sighed, as if understanding.

"There's strange men on our land."

"I know. I saw them." She stopped herself from going into detail.

He tried reading her mind. "Did any of them hurt you?"

"No," she answered abruptly.

"Did anyone see you? Did they come after you?"

"Kocoum, I'm fine. I can take care of myself." She began walking past him.

"Those men are dangerous Pocahontas, stay away from them." Kocoum called out to her, but she didn't appear to hear him. -

Powhatan sent messengers to contact warriors from a neighboring tribe. He wanted to prepare in case these men threatened them.

Pocahontas continued milling around the next couple days, seemingly daydreaming. But she wouldn't speak to him.

He found Nakoma washing some clothes. "Nakoma, have you noticed something different about Pocahontas? She's less focused than she normally is."

"She keeps telling me she's fine, but I know something's bothering her. I catch her gazing off in longing, as if she's deep in thought. She's hardly doing her chores, and keeps sneaking off somewhere."

"Can you keep trying to talk to her? You're her friend, she speaks to you."

"I'm trying." -

The next day Kocoum stayed around the village, preparing for the warriors to come: Sharpening and making more bows and arrows, dancing to the Great Spirit for favor, and coming up with attack plans with the other tribesmen.

Powhatan approached him. "Kocoum, please look out for my daughter. Pocahontas and Nakoma are in the cornfield."

The cornfield was vast. He called her to find her location. "Pocahontas, Pocahontas?" But he only found Nakoma. "Nakoma, where is Pocahontas?"

"I...I haven't seen her." Nakoma wouldn't look at him. He suspected she was hiding something, but he didn't want to probe. _There she goes, running off again._ "Pocahontas can't keep running off. It's dangerous out there. Tell her that. She listens to you." He walked back toward the village, still in thought. _If only she listened to me. Where does she keep sneaking off to? Wherever it is, she finds it more exciting than being with me, that's for certain._ -

It was quite a while before Pocahontas came back to the village. Right around the time the warriors from the neighboring tribes showed up. "There you are," he heard Nakoma say, who was next to him, when she saw Pocahontas. "What were you doing with-"

"Look," Kocoum announced proudly. "Our brothers are here. Now we can defeat those white demons." He put his arm around his betrothed as she looked onward. For one moment, he was proud that she stood by him. But it was only a moment. Once she saw her father, she went running to him, asking him about something, seemingly urgent.

_What was Nakoma asking_ _Pocahontas? _He wondered._ "What were you doing with -" With what? What was she with-or rather, who was she with? _There was no time to think of that now, as he had to meet with the new warriors and discuss their plans of attack. -

Later on that evening, Nakoma approached his longhouse. "Kocoum, can I speak to you? It's about Pocahontas."

"What is it? Is she alright?"

"I think she's in trouble."

"What do you mean?"

"Earlier today, a white man came out of the cornfield. I thought he was just trying to sneak into our village, but he seemed to be looking for Pocahontas. She appeared to know him-well enough to speak another language-probably his. Pocahontas ran off with him for a while."

"White man?!" His eyes rose. "What did he look like?"

"He was tall, had eyes like the color of the sea, hair like the grain... ." Yellow Hair! He knew there was something he didn't like about that man...but what did she like about him?

"I caught her running out to the cornfield again a few minutes ago, I tried to stop her; but she claims he's not what I think he is, and wouldn't believe to my concerns, taking off anyway."

"Where did she go?"

"Through the cornfield."

There wasn't a moment to waste. How could he not figure out she had been sneaking off to meet with him-all this time? No wonder she was so defensive when he confronted her, and so distant towards him, overall. The thought of them together was repulsive. How could she find him attractive-that pale skin that hadn't seen enough (if any) sun, that blindingly bright hair, and sea-colored eyes? He must be using the charms he seemed to have on his men to seduce her. He knew that man was trouble, and Pocahontas had no idea how much trouble she was in... .

He looked everywhere until came to a glade near a willow tree. What had he done to her? While he expected the worst, he still wasn't prepared for what he was about to see. There was Pocahontas, embracing and locking lips with that pale-faced, yellow-haired man...and she was content with it. He felt as if an arrow had pierced his heart, wishing he was in the place of that other man, that she would show him the same affection she gave to this other man. She ignored him, yet preferred that man, his race, his customs, his people. That man stole her from underneath him-the cunning fox! And she chose to be with the pale one.

He had seen enough. He wasn't having this. He let out a battle cry, which startled Pocahontas and her lover. He ran straight toward the man, knocking him down. Taking out his dagger, he wrestled with him, until they both landed on the ground tossing and turning. He slammed his ax on the ground, just missing him. Pocahontas was calling him, but within his rage, he drowned out her voice from his mind. She came to his side, in haste, he pushed her away; It wasn't her place to interfere: This was between him and Yellow Hair. He pushed his dagger toward his throat. Yellow Hair proved to be as strong-willed as he was: No matter how forceful Kocoum pushed, he pushed just as hard, keeping the dagger an arrowhead's length from his throat. He glared into those sea blue eyes as Yellow Hair shot back the same glance into his dark eyes. In that moment they knew they both were waiting, hoping, either of them would surrender, and die. Just as he thought he was winning, Yellow Hair started getting up, and Pocahontas came back to Kocoum's side.

Suddenly, Kocoum heard a noise, and felt something strongly pierce him. He was falling backwards. In a last effort attempt, he saw his betrothed, and her anxiety-or was it sorrow? He had to know. He reached for her, but could only grab her necklace, which would not hold him. He opened his mouth to as if to speak but he landed in the water, before he could ask that one final question:

_Why him?_


End file.
